Spain's Eurovision Junior Song Contest candidate chosen

Melani García, 12, from L'Eliana (Valencia province) won the fourth season of The Voice Kids in Spain and released a single a year ago – Vivo Por Ella ('I Live For Her'), a cover of the classic by opera legend Andrea Bocceli.

She started out singing in a choir in Valencia and, at the age of eight, when her teacher first introduced the group to Mozart's Due Pupille Amabili, Melani's passion for music was ignited instantly.

Her enthusiasm, and her prowess, grew stronger when she discovered María Callas, which led her to focus more and more on her singing and eventually enter the cult children's reality show, although she had never expected to win it.

Melani's talent does not stop at her vocals, however: she is an accomplished violinist, plays the piano, and regularly practises ballet, contemporary dance and rhythmic gymnastics, as well as various other sports she has won awards for.

The young prodigy had not even been born when Spain last entered the Junior Eurovision – in 2006, when Dani earned it a fourth place – but the bar is already set high, since Spanish contestants always achieved exceptional results.

In the four years between the contest being launched, in 2003, and Spain's pulling out, it has come second twice and first once – María Isabel, from Ayamonte (Huelva province) was only nine when she won with the now-legendary track Antes Muerta Que Sencilla.

Now 24, María Isabel has a series of studio albums under her belt as a solo singer and is also a TV presenter and model.